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(This is a transcript of her speech, provided by Rosalinda.)If you took the time to read this week’s bulletin, it incorrectly states I was born in 1974; which isn’t true – despite my looks – I was born in 1982. [My sincere apologies, Rosalinda. Ed.] In Australia, my Australian name is ROSE. I was born in Western Mindanao, in the southern Philippines where civil war between the Moslems and Christians has been a major problem for decades.
Believe it or not, I have 10 siblings; 3 brothers and 7 sisters – me being the second youngest. My father was murdered when I was only 8 years old and my older brothers’ and sisters’ had to support our family the best they could. We grew up on a farm - and life was never easy – especially without a father figure in the family.
My Mother promised each of us a high school education only and I did graduate from the tenth grade in 2001. I should mention that the Philippines only has 10 years to high school graduation while most developed western countries have a twelve year education and Germany even has 13 years. With no money or ability to go on to college, I wound up pregnant and later married Jimmy, my husband whom I met when we were both security guards. He came from Christian eastern Mindanao and this was my chance to move away from the problems of western Mindanao.
Jimmy and I went on to have 3 children; Kenn, Stephen and Divine. Despite our love for each other, the economic situation in the Philippines was horrible and even worse when there was a drought – which meant no crop harvests and nothing to eat.
Having come from a very large family where there were always children around, I learned quickly to care for many children at the same time and I was very good at this task. So, when our family was suffering tremendously, and my children were asking for school supplies, food and clothing – I became very, very desperate and heartbroken that my husband and I could not properly feed and support our immediate and extended family.
So, in 2012 – being just 30 years of age, with three young children – I went and signed up with a so called “agency” to work overseas where the promise of a regular salary that was double what the Philippines could offer. Little did I know that these so called “agencies” were actually human traffickers of young, helpless, poor and uneducated women. They had you sign an agreement in Arabic and then put you in a processing centre. To give you an idea, there were 700 of us housed in 6 large rooms with only 4 toilets. Yes, 4 toilets for 700 women. We had to sleep on our small roller bags – using it as a pillow so one’s few possessions were not stolen. We were then taken for pregnancy testing and shipped off in batches to the Middle East for a 2 year “assignment”. I was in the processing centre over 4 months – probably because I was hard to place at 30 years of age. We were taught basic Arabic and I did what I was told.
So, in 2012 – being just 30 years of age, with three young children – I went and signed up with a so called “agency” to work overseas where the promise of a regular salary that was double what the Philippines could offer. Little did I know that these so called “agencies” were actually human traffickers of young, helpless, poor and uneducated women. They had you sign an agreement in Arabic and then put you in a processing centre. To give you an idea, there were 700 of us housed in 6 large rooms with only 4 toilets. Yes, 4 toilets for 700 women. We had to sleep on our small roller bags – using it as a pillow so one’s few possessions were not stolen. We were then taken for pregnancy testing and shipped off in batches to the Middle East for a 2 year “assignment”. I was in the processing centre over 4 months – probably because I was hard to place at 30 years of age. We were taught basic Arabic and I did what I was told.
I don’t want to go into great detail about how it was in Kuwait where temperatures reached 50 Celsius in Summer and 9 Celsius in the Winter. All the water was from reverse osmosis – so my face had so many sores on it you would think I had the measles. My first employer did not like me and so they treated me horribly and did not pay me for over 2 months. I later resettled with another family but my two years started all over again. We were paid in Dinar – the local currency –about $200 per month in Australian money – but the so called “agency” took about half of our salary for the processing, passport fees, flights, etcetera, etcetera. I sent home money when I could - about 100 dollars five to six times per year.
It was my Rotarian sister Sahlee and her husband Fred (also a Rotarian) who kept in touch with me when I was in Kuwait. Fred had come to Manila in 2012 to try to stop me being taken to Kuwait, but I was too much in debt to the agency and had no way to pay for my family’s care had I stayed in the Philippines. My sister Sahlee and her husband had sent care packages to my family when I was away so they had something special to eat and had special things too – like toothpaste. Sahlee’s husband flew to the Philippines and took my children to the dentist when I was in Kuwait where the dentist told him all my children had underdeveloped lower jaws because my children were malnourished.
It seemed my life was a horrible existence of just surviving somehow and I would cry myself to sleep at nights. So, when I was sent home from Kuwait on 29 April 2015, my final memories were like a nightmare. I was sick, had lost weight – and weighed 38 kilos, my face looked like that of a leper, and the agency didn’t even pay for my food on the flight home and I worried if my husband still loved me and if my children were OK. My sister and brother in law applied for a sponsored visa for me to Australia and it was miraculously granted because the Rotary club of Southport was willing to endorse my speaking to their club with a special letter of invitation. Sahlee’s husband flew to Singapore to ensure I did not land in detention- as most single Filipino women do – even though I had a visa and return flights from Australia.
I can tell you arriving in Australia was a completely different experience than arriving in Kuwait. I could understand most things in English and Australia was CLEAN and GREEN and everything functioned properly. The water did not taste like chemicals and there was good water pressure everywhere too. The public parks were green, clean and there was no entry fee. The beaches had no litter and plastic garbage floating everywhere. My favourite place was the Southport Library. I asked my sister what the cost was to have the automatic plastic card to borrow books and she replied “our taxes pay for this” and I didn’t really understand fully. My family here in Australia told me how important it was for me to learn as much as possible about a properly functioning “REAL WORLD” as my brother-in-law Fred would repeatedly say. My sponsors’ also made it clear I was not to violate any law or overstay my visa; so I did not.
I want to especially thank and recognise Surfer’s Sunrise Rotary’s Secretary Mark Twyford, for supporting my brother with a letter of representation because that letter was the key for Immigration in granting him a visa. With this visa, he broadened his English and was able to finance wood to build his own home. I’d also like to really, really thank Bob Harrison and Daryl Sanderson and also their mentor, Des La Rance for making bicycles available to my family. Fred told me the bicycles were used to make wheelchairs for the needy. I didn’t need a wheelchair, but the bicycles provided by Surfer’s Sunrise make my daily journey to Imagine Education and Creative Gardens Child Care possible. Each fare I save on Translink pays one day’s groceries in my home in the Philippines.
If Surfers Sunrise hadn’t done enough, there would be more generousity from your Club. The front brakes of my bike broke and also a chain on another bike as my brother in Law Fred had loaned the other bike and an Air BnB guest had destroyed it. Your Club’s associate member John repaired it for free only 3 weeks ago for nothing and all he got was a thank you. So, there you see the assistance I have received from Rotary and also your Club.
Presently, I am studying Child Care. With a Diploma in Child Care and a Business Development Management certificate, I know my future will be great. Education is priceless as all of you in Australia know and the chance to live like you all do has always been a dream of mine. I now have the right to legally work in Australia and also to remain until 2019 to finish my studies- more than I ever had possible before.
My life has gone from one of despair, nightmares and no hope to one of a bright future and many interim successes. For this, I would like to thank my sister Sahlee, the Rotary Club of Southport and Surfer’s Sunrise for their unselfish help and support. My sister Evangeline, who owns her own home, has titled land in the Philippines, farm animals etc - and her visa to Australia was rejected TWICE. I can only speculate that it was a letter from Rotary Clubs like yours that made the difference to allow me to be here today.
After my arrival, still another Angel appeared from Rotary. There is a Rotarian who knew my plight more intimately and he made incredible donations to my son’s education. These donations will enable my oldest son to study here in Australia and as I understand it, it is Chris Thurtell of your Club who organises these exchanges for the entire district. Thank you so much for listening. You don’t know how it really is - for women, born and raised in the 3rd World to make it out of their eternal misery.